Carbon-sorting machine.



No. 672,20l. Patented Apr. l6, I90l. M. M. ZELLEBS.

CARBON SURTINIE- MACHINE.

( (Application filed. Sept. 5, 1899.) No lvlode l.) 4 Sheets$heet I.

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No. 672,20l. Patentd Apr. l6', I901.

. M. M. ZELLERS.

CARBON SORTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 5, 1899. (No. Model.)

4 Sheets-8heet 2.

No. 672,20I. Patented Apr. l6, l90l.

' M. M. ZELLERS.

CARBON SOBTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 5, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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No. 672,201.- Patented Apr. "5, I90l.

. m. NLZEtLEBS.

CARBON SOBTING MACHINE.

' (Application filed Sept. 5, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

lNrTnD TAT'Es MAHLON M. ZELLERS, (2F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THENATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

CARBON-SO'RTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,201, dated April16, 1901'.

Application filed September 5, 1899- Serial No. 729,515. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: in the same direction; and Fig. 13 is a perBe it known that I, MAHLON M. ZELLER S, spective view of one of theguide-plates E and a citizen of the United States, residing atreceiving-arms D. Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and The machineshown in the drawings is de- 55 State of Ohio, have invented a certainnew signed to separate the carbons into three and useful ImprovementinOarbon-Sorting grades; but this is arbitrary. It might be Machines, ofwhich the following is a full, organized to separate them into a less orclear, and exact description, reference being greater number of grades,as desired. Forhad to the accompanying drawings. v separating each gradetwo testing devices are 50 In the manufacture of electric-lightcarprovided in the machine as organized, one to bons it is practicallyimpossible to make them determine whether one end of each carbon is allstraight, and it is therefore necessary that straight enough and one totest the other end those which are too much bent or too crooked of thosecarbons which are too crooked at the be separated from those whicharestraight end first tested. All of these testing devices 65 enough foruse. In'most cases itis also necesare alike in construction and mode ofopera sary to grade the useful remainder according tion and differ onlyin the adjustment and to their crookedness. Heretofore this workrelation of the parts. A description of one has generally been done byhand, which is of the testing devices will therefore answerobjectionable because it is-expensive and also for all. 7o for the.reason that all of the men employed The construction is as follows: Ametallic for the purpose are not equally skilful nor contact-plate A issupported near its ends by are they all able to adopt and'work to thetwostandards C. It is inclined from its front same standards. end upwardin order to better cooperate with The object of my invention, which isemthe mechanism shown, which rolls the carbons 75 bodied in the machineshown in the drawings, alongtracks B B, secured to this plate. The

is to mechanically sort electric-light carbonstracks B B are of metal,but they are insuand to separate those which are too crooked lated fromthe contact-plate. In the particufor use from those which are not and toaclar construct-ion shown two parallelgrooves a curately grade theuseful remainder accordare formed in the contact-plate. Each track 80 oing to the definite standards. has one beveled side, and it issurrounded by The invention consists in the construction insulatingmaterial b except upon its proand combination of parts shown in thedrawjectingtop edge. The beveled side thereof ingsand hereinafterdescribed and claimed. is adjacent to the beveled face of a gib b,

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of which contacts with theinterposed insulating 85 5 the machine. Fig. Zisaside elevation. Fig.material b and is fastened in the grooves by is an enlarged sideelevation, partly in secscrews, whereby the track is held firmly intion, from the opposite side of the machine' place. The tracks areparallel with each other, Fig. I is a front view of the contact-plateandv and they extend lengthwise of the machine. parts attached thereto.Fig. 5 isa plan view Their top edges are slightly above the plane 0 ofthe same. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the of the top surface of thecontact-plate. These transversely-movable carrier-belts K and its tracksare connected with one pole of an elecoperating mechanism. Fig. 7 is asectional trical circuit in which an electromagnet F is view on line 7 7of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is aside connected. The other pole ofsaid circuit iselevation, partly in section, showing a pair connectedwiththecontact-plateA. Thecar- 5 5 of, testing devices and" their associatedturnbons I are delivered onto these tracks and 'ing devices. Fig. 9isaplan view of the same are rolled along upon the same. If they aremechanism, some of which is broken away. so bent or crooked that oneoverhanging end Fig. lOis a plan, view of vthe turning devices or theother or the middle part between the alone.- Fig. 11 is aview'of thesamelooking tracks. touches the contact-plate A, the elec- I00 in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 12 is a sectrical circuit is completed andthe magnet F tional view on line 12 12 of Fig. 10 looking attracts itsarmature f with results which will be presently explained. If the tracksare elevated above the contact-plate A only a very short distance, aslight crook in the carbon will make the described contact andconsequent electrical connection, and the more said tracks are raisedabove said plate the more musta carbon be bent in order that it shallmake this connection.

In the first two sorting devicesthat is to say, the two which arenearest the hopper H- the tracks are only slightly above thecontactplate. Thereforeonlythestraightestcarbons will pass over eitherof these devices without making contact and completing the circuit. Itmight be here stated that it is necessary that that end of thcelectric-light carbon which goes onto the holder in the lamp ought to bepretty straight, but that a little crookedness at the other end does notso much matter. The sorting devices to be presently explained arearranged to test the carbons to find those which have one comparativelystraight end straight enough to stand the test to which they aresubjectedalthough the other end may not be quite so straight.

Returning now to a description of the testing device, it will be noticedthat two receiving-arms D are located in front of the contact-plate A,from which, however, they must be insulated. As shown, they areconnected with the insulated guide-plates E. Their ends are extended tosuch positions that the carbons will be delivered upon them, and theirtop faces are inclined downward and rearward in such a manner that saidcarbons will roll down said arms onto the tracks. Near each side of eachcontact-plate is a vertical guide-plate E, which extends lengthwise ofthe machine. These plates are adjusted in accordance with the lengths ofthe carbons being tested,s0 as to lie close to the ends of said carbonsand may contact with them, and they serve to prevent endwise movement ofthe carbons. These guide-plates are secured upon the contact-plate A;but they are insulated from said contact-plates and from any other partof the machine. In the specific construction shown each contact-plate Arests upon standards 0 and lies beneath the yoke-bars c, which aresecured to these standards. The contact-plates may be shifted sidewiseupon these standards and may be clamped in any desired position byscrews 0. The guide-plates E have feet 6, which pass under theseyokebars, and they rest upon a piece of insulated material J upon thecontact-plate. Another piece of insulating material J is interposedbetween the guide-plates and the yoke-bars. The screws 0', which clampthe contact-plates down upon the standards, also clamp the guide-platesdown upon the contact-plates bearing upon said insulating-strip J.

The described specific construction is convenient and inexpensive as themeans for effecting the desired resultnamely, the lateral adjustment ofthe contact-plate A, the

securing of it and the guide-plates in fixed position, and the completeinsulation of the guide-plates E and arms D from the contactplate. Anyother means for efiecting these results, however, may be substituted.

After a carbon has been delivered onto the tracks 13 13 it is rolledupon the same by the hooked arms G. There are two of such armsassociated with each sorting device. These hook-arms are loosely pivotedat their upper ends to a support which has a reciprocating movementlengthwise of the machine. The front ends g of said arms G*that is tosay, the ends in which the hooks are formed'are made of insulatingmaterial and have the hooks 9 back from their upturned ends g. The freefront ends of said arms rest upon the top surface of the contact-plateA. When these hook-arms are moved forward, (toward the hopper,) theirfree ends when they reach the carbons (which are then resting upon thetracks and against said receiving-arms D) ride over said carbons andfall down in front of them. When the hook-arms are moved in the contrarydirection, the hooks g engage with the carbons While the weight of thebars rest upon the carbons, which are thereby held down upon the tracksand are rolled along the same to and off of their upper ends. If thecarbons are straight enough, their overhanging ends do not touch thecontact-plate, and therefore they fall from the upper ends of saidtracks downward toward a carrier-belt K to be presently described; butif the overhanging ends of the carbons are bent sulficiently they will,during the rotation of the carbons, touch the contact-plate. This, asbefore stated, completes the electric circuit, and a switch-plate N ispermitted to move to a position where the carbons as they fall from theupper ends of the tracks will fall upon it and be guided by it onto thereceiving-arms D D of the next testing device.

The switch-plate N is secured to a rockshaft n, which extends across themachine and is mounted in the standards. On the projecting end of therock-shaft is a toe n. The armature f of the associated electromagnet Fis attached to a pivoted arm f the upper end of which is adapted to bemoved by a spring into engagement with this toe, as shown at the rightof Fig. 3, whereby the plate N is locked in the position substantiallyas shown at the right of Fig. 3; but when the electric circuit iscompleted this arm is withdrawn by the magnet from its engagement withthe toe, and thereupon the switch-plate falls by gravity to the positionshown on the middle of Fig. 3, turning the rock-shaft in so doing. Inthis position it guides the carbons onto the arms D of the next testingdevice. All of the plates N are returned to the position first referredto by the following mechanism: Each rock-shaft n has at its opposite endan arm n A bar P, which is capable of sliding endwise in bracketguides con the several standards, has a pin 19, which engages with said arm. Infact, it

hasa plurality of pins adapted to engage with the corresponding arms 12.on the several rockshafts n. This bar is caused to reciprocatelongitudinally by a spring 10 which moves it rearward, and by a rockingarm m, secured to arm M, which engages with a pin p on this bar P andmoves it forward.

The carbons to be tested, sorted, and graded are placed in a hopper H,having an inclined bottom h, on which the carbons slide by gravity downtoward the lower end. A feeding device for taking carbons out of thishopper and delivering them singly onto the arms D of the first sortingis provided. This feeding device is a cylinder h, which extends throughthe lower end of the hopper, lying partly in and partly out of thehopper, and it is secured on a transverse shaft h In the surface of thecylinder are' longitudinal grooves h each large enough to receive one ofthe carbons. The cylinder is slowly turned step by step, and with eachmovement it drops a carbon onto the arms D of the first sorting device.A curved retaining-plate h is secured to the hopper and embraces theupper part of the cylinder outside of the hopper, and it acts to preventthe carbons from dropping out of said grooves untilthey reach the properpoint with respect to said arms D. Attached to the same shaft k is aratchetwheel 72. with which a pawl 15 engages. This pawl is pivotallyconnected with a lever T, which is pivoted to the side of the hopper. Afriction-roller t, which is mounted upon said lever, is adapted to beengaged bya cam u, secured upon a constantly-rotating shaft U. The lowerend of this lever is connected by a link 1/. with one of the pivotedarms M. There are two of these arms pivotally cpnnected to each side ofthe frame of the ma-- nected by a plurality of transverse tie-rods m Theseveral hook-arms G are pivotally hung from these bars m It is apparent,therefore, that for each revolution of the shaft U this lever T will berocked backward and will then be moved forward by its spring 25 Theresults of this movement will be, first, the turning of thefeeding-cylinder the distance betweentwo successive grooves in itssurface and the consequent discharge of one carbon onto the arms D ofthe first testing device; second, inLthe backward-and-forward movementof all of-the hook-arms Grand the consequent movement of all of thecarbons on the several'testing devices upon the tracks and offtheupperends thereof. In this movemen t any or all of the several circuitsmay be is moved forward, and it returns all of the rock-shafts n totheir normal positions and the arms f automatically engage with the toesn.

I will now explain in what manner the parts of the several testingdevices are adjusted, so that the first pair of such devices willsegregate the best of the carbonsthat is to say, those which have atleast one end which is straight enough for the best gradeand the nexttwo will segregate the best of the remaining carbons,and so on. Thetracks B B in the first two testing devices are elevated a very shortdistance only above the top surfaceof the contact-plate A, and thereforea comparatively slight crook in the carbon will cause it to contact withthe plate A, with the result, as stated, that said carbon will be passedon to the next testing device. The tracks of the next two testingdevices are elevated above the top surface of the contactplate a greaterdistance than those in the first two and those of the fifth and sixthtesting devices still farther. In the first testing device the plate Ais so placed that the track B is farther from the adjacent guide-plate Ethan the track B is. the carbon which overhangs the track B is longerthan the other end, which overhangs the track B, and therefore thislonger end must be straighter than the shorter end needs to be to avoidmaking contact with the plate A. In the second testing device theopposite ends of the carbons overhang the adjacent tracks farther andare consequently the longer. Therefore if the long overhanging end of acarbon in the first testing-machine is too crooked to go through thedevice without touching the plate A the other end may in the secondtesting device be found to be straight enough. The third and fourthtesting devices are similarly differentiated, as are also the fifth andsixth.

When any of the carbons withstand the test of any testing device, suchcarbons do not cause the operation of the switch-plate N, by which theyare passed onto the next testing device, but, on the contrary, they falldownward and-are delivered upon transverselymovable endlesscarrier-belts K, which run over the sprocket wheels it. Before theyreach these belts, however, they pass through turning devices, wherebythey are turned into position substantially at right angles to thepositions which they occupied in moving along testing devices-that is tosay, when they are on the testin g devices their axes extendtransversely of the machine, whereas they are delivered onto thecarrier-belts with their axes extending lengthwise of the machine. Oneof these turning devices is associated with each testing device. Likethe testing devices, however, the turning devices are arranged in pairs,one pair of turningdevices being associated with one of the pairs oftesting devices. One of the turning devices in each pair acts to turnthe carbons in one direction, while the other turning device Thereforethe end of ICC acts to turn it in the contrary direction, and bothdeliver the carbons onto the same belt. It will be understood,therefore, that all of the carbons which withstand the test of eithertesting device in any pair are delivered upon the carrier-beltassociated with that pair of testing devices and that the straight endsof all of such carbons will be at the same side of said carrier-belt.

The construct-ion of the turning devices will be understood by referenceto Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. I will first describe the turning devicewhich is associated with the testing device at the right of Figs. 8 and9. Directly below the upper end of the track B is a plate V, having onone edge an upwardlyextended curved flange o and on the other edge asubstantially vertical flange 12 which extends transversely of themachine. The one end of the carbon, therefore,when it falls from thetracks will drop downward onto the 'plate V, substantially as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 10. A warped bar W is properly supported in suchposition that the other end of the carbon will fall upon it near itsupper end. As this end of the carbon falls it will be guided by saidwarped bar through the several posit-ions indicated by dotted lines inFig. 10. In passing through these several positions the carbon turnsagainst the inner vertical edge of the flange 0 as a fulcrum, while theend of the carbon engages with the curved flange 2;, whereby endwisemovement of the carbon is prevented. The result will be that the carbonin falling will be turned into a position substantially at right anglesto its former position and when in this position will drop through aslot 0: in a plate X and thence onto the curved plate Z, from which itfalls onto the associated carrier-belt K. This turning movement of thecarbon will be very rapid, and unless means to prevent such action wereprovided it might swing beyond the position vertically above the slot00. This is prevented by the inner edge of a flange 0 with which thecarbon engages near one of its ends, whereby this end is prevented frompassing beyond the slot at. If the other end swings too far, it engageswith an inclined plate 10 by which it is caused to rollback again andthen through said slot as. The plate X referred to is fastened to someconvenient part of the machine-frame, and the lower end of the warpedbar W is attached to the plate X. The curved plate 03 is a brace-bar,its lower end being attached to the plate X, while its upper end isattached to one of the side bars of the machine-frame. The associatedturning device is similarly constructed--that is to say, it has theplate V down upon which one end of the carban falls after it leaves thetracks. This plate has upon one edge the upwardly-extended curved flange'0 and upon the other edge the vertical flange v. A warped bar W, whichis curved in the opposite direction to the bar W, is suitably supported,its lower end being made fast e razoi to a bar X below the bar X, whileits upper end is connected by a brace-bar w in such position that oneend of the carbon will fall upon it. The result is that While one end ofthe carbon will fall down upon the plate V the other end will roll downthe bar to, and the carbon will turn upon the inner edge of the flange'v as a fulcrum, and the extreme end of said carbon will engage with thecurved flange 01 The result is that this carbon will be turned in theopposite direction to the carbon which falls upon the other turningdevice and will be delivered through a slot at onto the same plate Z. Acurved plate w is attached to the bar X, so that if the momentum of thecarbon carries it back of the slot w it will again roll down the bar Q04to said slot. A depending bracket 00, secured to the plate X, serves toprevent the other end of the carbon swinging past the opening in theplate X through which it is desired that it shall pass.

It will be remembered that the testing device shown at the right ofFigs. 9 and 10 is one which is set to determine whether the rear end ofthe carbon passing over it is straight enough. If it is found to be andfalls down into the embrace of the turning devices, that straight end ofthe carbon will be deposited on the associated carrier-belt K with itsstraight end at the left side thereof, as seen in Fig. 9. The testingdevice shown at the left of said figure is set to determine whether theother end of the carbon is straight enough. If it is found to be, itfalls into the embrace of the other turning device and, being turned inthe opposite direct-ion, is deposited on the carrier-belt with itsstraight end at the left side of said belt. In other words, the carbonswhich are deposited upon the several carrier-belts are deposited thereonwith their straight ends pointing in the same direction. The firstcarrier-belt will therefore carry to a suitable delivery-point all ofthe carbons which may be classed as first grade and will deliver saidcarbons with their straight ends in the same direction. The nextcarrier-belt will similarly deliver the carbons of the second gradethatis to say, those carbons which withstand the test of the second pair oftesting devices, and so on.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In acarbon-sorting machine,the combination of tracks connected with one pole of an electriccircuit, a metallic contact-plate below but insulated from said tracksand connected with the other pole of said circuit, insulatedguide-plates for engaging withthe ends of carbons which restupon saidtracks, means for rolling the carbons along said tracks, and a devicewhich is caused to operate when the electric circuit is closed by thecontact of a carbon on said tracks with said plate, substantially asspecified.

2. In a carbon-sorting machine, the combination of tracks connected withone pole of an electric circuit, a metallic contact-plate below butinsulated From said tracks and connected with the other pole of saidcircuit, insulated guide-plates for engaging with the ends of carbonswhich rest uponsaid tracks, and means for rolling the carbons along saidtracks, with a switch-gate, a locking device for holding it in a certainposition, an electromagnet connected in said electric circuit, and meansoperated by said magnet for releasing said locking device, substantiallyas specified.

3. In a carbon-sorting machine, the combination of tracks connected withone pole of an electric circuit, a metallic contact-plate which is belowbut insulated from said tracks, and is connected with the other pole ofsaid circuit, hook-arms for engaging with said carbons and rolling themalong said tracks, movable supports to which said hook-arms arepivotally connected, and a device which is caused to operate when theelectric circuit is closed by the contact of a carbon on said trackswith said plate, substantially as specified.

4. In a carbon-sorting machine, the combination of tracks connected withone pole of an electric circuit, a metallic contact-plate which is belowbut insulated from said tracks and is connected with the other pole ofsaid circuit, arms having their lower front ends beveled and having hookformations in their lower edges and back from said beveled ends, andlongitudinally-movable supports to which the upper ends of said arms arepivoted, substantially as specified.

5. In acarbon-sorting machine, the combination of tracks connected withone pole of an electric circuit, a metallic contact-plate which is belowbut insulated from said tracks and is connected with the other pole ofsaid circuit, guide-plates secured upon but insulated from saidcontact-plate, hook-arms for engaging with the carbons and rolling themalong said tracks, and means for moving said hook-arm's backward andforward lengthwise of said tracks, a movable switch-gate, anelectromagnet connected in said electric circuit, and means controlledby said magnet for holding said switch-gate in one of its positions andfor releasing it whereby it may move to another position, substantiallyas specified.

6. In a carbon-sorting machine, the combination of a hopper, a feedingdevice consisting of a cylinder having grooves adapted to receive thecarbons which cylinder lies partly within and partly outside of saidhopper, and a testing device consisting of the metallic contact-platewhich is connected with one pole of an electric circuit, tracks securedto but insulated from said contact-plate and connected with the otherpole of the circuit, and arranged with relation to the feeding-cylindersubstantially as described whereby the carbons from said cylinder aredeposited upon said tracks, and means for rolling the carbons along saidtracks, substantially as specified.

7. In a carbon-sorting machine, the qombination of a plurality oftesting devices arranged in series each consistingol the tracks whichare connected With one pole of an electric circuit, a metalliccontact-plate which is insulated from said tracks and is connected withthe other pole of said circuit, means for rolling a carbon along saidtracks and off their ends, receiving-arms projecting in front of saidtracks, a switch-gate placed between the real-end of one of said testingdevices and the forward end of the other which switchgate is adapted toassume a position whereby the carbons which fall from the tracks of onetesting device will be guided onto the receiving-arms of the nexttesting device, a locking device for holding said switch-gate out ofsaid position, an electromagnet connected in said circuit, and meansoperated by the magnet for releasing said locking device, substantiallyas specified.

8. In a carbon-sorting machine, the combination of a plurality oftesting devices arranged in series, each having a metallic contact-platewhich is connected with one pole of an electric circuit, and trackswhich are insulated from said contact-plate and are connected with theother pole of said circuit, switch-plates interposed between thesucceeding testing devices, an electromagnet associated with eachtesting device, a locking device for holding the switch-plate in one ofits positions, and means operated by the electromagnet for releasingsaid locking device, combined with arms pivoted to the sides of theframe of the machine which contains said testing devices, bars pivotallyconnected with the upper ends of said arm, tie-rods connecting saidbars, and two hook-arms associated with each of said testing deviceswhich hookarms are pi votally suspended from said bars, substantially asspecified.

9. In a carbon-sorting machine, the combination of a testing device overwhich the carbons are rolled to determine their straightness, acarrier-belt movable below said testing device in a direction at rightangles to that in which the carbons are rolled upon the testing device,and a turning device intermediate of the testing device and belt,whereby the carbons, in falling from the former to the latter, areturned into positions at right angles substantially to their positionson the testing device, substantially as specified.

10. In a carbon-sorting machine,thecon1bination of a pair of testingdevices over which the carbons are rolled to determine theirstraightness, said testing devices being adjusted to test opposite endsof the carbons, means wherebya carbon which fails to stand the test ofone testing device is delivered onto the other, and atransversely-movable carrier-belt below said testing devices, with twoturning devices associated with said testing devices and located betweenthem and said carrier-belt, one of said turning devices being adapted toturn the carbons in one direction as they fallfrom one testing devicetoward the belt, and the other being adapted to turn said carbons in theopposite direction as they fall from the testing device to the belt,whereby the carbons from both testing devices are delivered onto thesame carrierbelt in positions at right angles to their positions uponthe testing devices, but with their straight ends at the same side ofthe carrier-belt, substantially as specified.

11. In a carbon-sorting machine, a device for turning carbons and thelike which consists of a plate onto which one end of a carbon may fall,said plate having a curved flange and a vertical flange, combined with awarped bar whose upper end is arranged so that the opposite end of thecarbon will fall upon it, substantially as specified.

12. In a carbon-sorting machine, a device for turning carbons and thelike which consists in the combination of a plate V having a curvedflange o and a vertical flange v with MAHLON M. ZELLERS.

Witnesses:

E. L. THURSTON, FRANK D. LAWRENCE.

